VOA标准英语2009年-Suicide Blast in Iran Kills Top Revolution

By Elizabeth Arrott
Cairo
18 October 2009

 
Deputy commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's ground force, Gen. Noor Ali Shooshtari is among those killed in the attack, Sunday, 18 Oct. 2009
Iranian state media report that a suicide bomber¹ in the troubled southeast killed at least 30 people early Sunday, including six commanders of Iran's elite² Revolutionary Guard force. 

Iranian state media say the suicide bomb blast killed the deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards ground forces and the commander of the Guards in the troubled Sistan Baluchistan region, which borders Pakistan.

The reports say the attacker targeted people gathering³ in the city of Pisheen for a reconciliation⁴ meeting between local Shi'ite and Sunni leaders.  Minority Sunni groups, in particular ethnic⁵ Baluchis, have long complained of discrimination in the Shi'ite dominated country.

The chief prosecutor⁶ in the region was quoted as saying the Sunni insurgent⁷ group Jundallah, or Soldiers of God, claimed responsibility for the attack.  There has been no direct word from the group, which has carried out anti-government attacks in the past.

Paul Ingram, co-director of the London-based  British-American Security Information Council, notes that similar attacks have been going on for years.  But he says this one stands out. "This is a very unusual attack in as much as it appears to be a successful attack upon the Revolutionary Guards at such a high level involving so many of the senior officers," he said.

Iran's speaker of parliament, Ali Larijani, accused the United States of being behind the attacks.   The U.S. State Department condemned⁸ what it called "this act of terrorism" and mourned the loss of innocent lives.  It said allegations of U.S. involvement were "completely false."
 
Security analyst⁹ Paul Ingram says such allegations are problematic. "It is very difficult to really pin down and there have been these sorts of accusations¹⁰ from the Revolutionary Guards in the past," he said.

Ingram notes the Iranian government has an interest in deflecting¹¹ blame to foreign elements.

Tehran is under pressure both at home, over the disputed presidential election in June, and abroad, for its controversial nuclear program, which the United States suspects could be aimed at developing nuclear weapons.  Iran, which denies that charge, has recently agreed to allow western inspectors¹² to look at a newly revealed uranium enrichment facility and has been holding talks with the United States and other western nations on ways to ease concerns about its nuclear program.

1 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

2 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

3 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

4 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

5 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

6 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

7 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

8 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

9 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

10 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

11 deflecting   

（使）偏斜， （使）偏离， （使）转向( deflect的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• A variety of mechanical surfaces have been employed for deflecting the exhaust jets of solid-propellant rockets. 人们已经用过各种类型的机械控制面来偏转固体推进剂火箭的排气流。
• If she made a leading statement, he was expert deflecting her into more impersonal channels. 只要她一开口，他就会巧妙地把她的话题转到与个人无关的问题上去。

12 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》